The communities that make up what is collectively known as the Upper Skeena, or “the Hazeltons”, are situated on the unceded traditional territory of the Gitxsan Nation. The Gitxsan people have lived on these lands for 10,000+ years and along with the Wet'suwet'en Nation to the east, established the precedent setting Delgamuukw court decision in 1997. Some of the communities included in the Upper Skeena are the incorporated municipalities of Hazelton and New Hazelton, unincorporated settlements of South Hazelton, Two Mile, Suskwa Valley, Miskinish (Cedarvale), Kitwanga Valley, Andimal and the Kispiox Valley, and the 7 Indigenous villages of Gitanyow, Gitwangak, Gitsegukla, Hagwilget, Gitanmaax, Sik-e-dakh and Anspayaxw. Some would say the natural beauty of the land is unparalleled – it certainly holds a central place in health and wellbeing for many of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who live on these unceded lands. https://www.northernhealth.ca/our-communities/the-hazeltons
Northern Health, in collaboration with the Hazelton Primary Care Network, is seeking a Family Physician to provide Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) and comprehensive primary care services in Hazelton, BC. This is a 0.5 FTE position, equivalent to approximately 840–1,050 hours per year.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
- Provide maintenance OAT care for approximately 20 patients per month, including initiations and inpatient OAT consultations as clinically required.
- Maintain a minimum patient panel of 325 patients.
- There is no requirement to act as Most Responsible Provider (MRP) for hospitalized patients.
- No on-call or emergency department responsibilities are required in this role.
Team Support & Mentorship
This role is exceptionally well supported by an interdisciplinary team, including:
- Community mental health and substance use support workers
- Registered Nurses
- Social services professionals
An experienced Hazelton-based clinician will provide mentorship and support to ensure a smooth transition into the role.
The medical staff invite you to explore the context of their practice in the beautiful Upper Skeena - hazdocs.ca. Get a sense of the group’s spirit and connectedness by visiting the Hazelton Rural Medicine Instagram account: @haz.docs.
IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
You will be a strong fit for this position if you:
- Are curious about and committed to working in partnership with Indigenous peoples, and
- Enjoy collaborative, interprofessional practice in a rural setting.
Working in Hazelton requires comfort practicing at a distance from tertiary specialist services and advanced imaging. Strong communication skills and effective collaboration with local and remote colleagues using digital health technologies are essential and highly valued.
In addition, the ideal candidate will:
- Have experience and familiarity with substance use treatment in rural and remote settings.
- Have experience with team based OAT provision and have completed the Provincial Opioid Addictions Treatment Support Program.
- Bring a person centred approach that reflects the full continuum of substance use care, including harm reduction, withdrawal management, and recovery oriented services.
- Hold current ACLS and ATLS certification (PALS is preferred).
- Have completed Indigenous Cultural Safety training.
BENEFITS
- Turnkey practice opportunity — no lease, buy in, or independent staff hiring.
- Salaried compensation — no fee for service billing.
- No overhead costs — the clinic is operated by Northern Health, with a clinic coordinator, administrative coordinator, and an experienced team of MOAs employed by NHA.
- Flexible work arrangements designed to support work life balance and long term sustainability for the entire group.
- Housing support — newly recruited physicians may apply for up to three months of temporary housing through Northern Health to support relocation. Housing may accommodate families and/or pets, subject to availability.
OUR TEAM
The Wrinch Medical Staff are a highly collaborative, inclusive team committed to delivering high quality, culturally safe care. They value empathy, humour, kindness, and a strong sense of connection—both with each other and with the community they serve.
The Wrinch Medical Staff provide full scope medical care to the region and currently include:
- 10 Family Physicians (working toward 9.5 FTE through a provider partnership model)
- 1 GP Anesthetist (ideally expanding to 2)
- 3 Nurse Practitioners
- 3 Registered Midwives
The team works within an exceptionally collaborative and supportive model of care.
VISITING SPECIALIST SUPPORT
Regular visiting specialist services at Wrinch include:
- Pediatrics
- Internal Medicine
- General Surgery
- Rheumatology
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Cardiology
- Geriatric Assessment Team
PROVIDER PARTNERSHIP MODEL
In Spring 2020, Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners implemented a Provider Partnership Model, pairing part time Family Physicians together. Each clinician maintains their own patient panel; however, when one partner is away, the other covers results and inpatients. This allows clinicians to be fully off work when desired and has significantly improved:
- Continuity of care
- Clinic efficiency
- Patient access
The physician selected for this position will be paired with another clinician as part of this model, ensuring strong onboarding support and shared practice coverage.
CLINICAL TEACHING
Teaching is a time-honored tradition in Hazelton. There is an ongoing rotation of Medical Students, Nurse Practitioner Students, Midwifery Students and Medical Residents. Many of our clinicians also do outreach clinics once a week as guests at the community community health centres (Sik-E-Dakh, Anspayaxw, Gitsegukla, Gitwangak, Gitanyow). Learners will often be scheduled to accompany their preceptors for these clinics.
Wrinch Memorial Hospital has a wonderful history of community service and is unique in the number of services offered under one roof. It serves the people of the Upper Skeena, a largely Indigenous population of 8,000 with:
- 9 Complex Care beds
- 1 Respite bed
- 10 Acute Care beds
- 1 secure psychiatric observation room
- Pharmacy
- Dental Clinic
- Laboratory
- Outpatient Clinic where midwives, NPs and doctors work side by side
- Medical Imaging including ultrasound
Other health and community care services including:
- Interprofessional Community Team including public health, mental health and substance use services, home care nursing and home support, primary care nursing, palliative care, Integrated Child and Youth Team, etc.
- Skeena Place Assisted Living Complex
- Pre and Post-Natal outreach programs
- Massage therapy
- Foot care
- Chiropractic care
Indigenous services:
- Wilp D’mootxw Nec’a Yikh (FNHA Primary Care Clinic)
- Health Centres in Gitanyow, Gitwangak, Gitsegukla, Hagwilget, Gitanmaax, Sik-e-dakh, Anspayaxw
- Gitxsan Child and Family Services
- Gitanmaax Child and Family Services
